Unveiling Weight Loss and Health Outcomes After Eight Years of Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy

Although sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is currently the most popular bariatric procedure, research with more than five years of follow-up indicates that patients who have SG lose less weight than those who have Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). The present study aimed to evaluate variations in weight loss and the prevalence of weight regain between SG and RYGB up to 8 years post bariatric surgery.

Researchers included adult patients undergoing SG or RYGB between 2015 and 2018 and examined the weight trajectory and pre- and postoperative behavior of type 2 diabetes (T2D), hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Student t-test, Mann–Whitney U, Pearson’s chi-square or Fisher's exact test as appropriate were used to determine the differences between variables.

The findings of the study revealed the following:

• In a study involving 591 patients (average age 40 ± 10 years; baseline body mass index of 41.7, 55% patients underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and 45% patients underwent sleeve gastrectomy (SG).
• Prior to surgery, 14% of the patients had type 2 diabetes (T2D), 40% had hypertension, and 53% had dyslipidemia.
• Follow-up after 8 years, the average total percentage of weight loss was greater in the RYGB group at 32%, compared to 19% in the SG group, resulting in a significant difference of 13%.
• Additionally, at the 8-year mark, weight regain was lower in the RYGB group (23%) than in the SG group (39%).
• At 5 years post-surgery, the remission rates for T2D, hypertension, and dyslipidemia among patients who continued to be monitored were 63%, 42%, and 51%, respectively.

Therefore, the study highlights the greater effectiveness of RYGB compared to SG, as patients who underwent RYGB experienced more significant weight loss and less weight regain eight years after bariatric surgery.

Source: Lins de Souza SM, Leães Rech CGS, Escobar da Silva, PB et al. Eight Year Follow-Up After Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy in a Brazilian Cohort: Weight Trajectory and Health Outcomes. OBES SURG.(2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-024-07557-y